Seattle Mariners Panic Level: Where do we even begin?

We could start with Robinson Cano. We could start with Mark Trumbo. We could start with Jack Zduriencik or Lloyd McClendon. Or Brad Miller or Mike Zunino or any Mariner who struck out with runners in scoring position during Thursday night’s 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays — Seattle’s sixth consecutive defeat and seventh in the past eight games.

Back in April, when the $24 million-a-year Man got caught on the basepath between third and home during a walk at Dodger Stadium, he explained that he forgot the bases weren’t loaded and vowed to never make such a dumb mistake again.

Unfortunately for Cano and the rest of the Mariners, he did it again Thursday, when he got caught looking toward the outfield while taking a lead at first. Rays starter (and former Mariner) Erasmo Ramirez noticed and got the easy pickoff.

The fifth-inning blunder came moments after Cano, who is hitting .248 this season, batted in Seattle’s lone run. If he had been paying attention, and the Mariners had loaded the bases with Nelson Cruz’s subsequent walk, they would have given Kyle Seager a chance to bring in some more instead of grounding out to second.

Probably not, though. Thursday’s loss was by no means all Cano’s fault, but the faux pas was representative of these Mariners right now: Even when they get guys on base, the stars will cross and something — whether expected or inexplicable — will keep them from scoring.

The M’s went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position Thursday. On Wednesday, they were 2-for-6 but Dustin Ackley got tagged out at home. On Tuesday, they were a mere 3-for-17. This season, the Mariners rank dead-last in the MLB batting .215 as a team with runners in scoring position.

The struggling M’s, now 24-30 in this highly anticipated season, rank 28th of 30 in total runs scored (193), 28th in on-base percentage (.297) and 27th in team batting average (.237). Meanwhile, Seattle ranks fifth in the MLB with 62 home runs, but 44 of them have been solo shots.

So, another home-run hitter is just what they need, right?

That’s apparently the logic Zduriencik used when he traded for Trumbo on Wednesday. “If you look at the skill set that Trumbo has,” Seattle’s GM said then, and “figure this guy might add 25 to 30 home runs to your ballclub … the club could use that at this point.”

Really? Is that what the Mariners need? Because last time we checked, the Mariners needed clutch hitting. Bloop singles would do. But Trumbo (who last hit 25-plus homers in 2013) has an on-base percentage of .303 — less than the guy he effectively replaced on Seattle’s roster, Justin Ruggiano, whose on-base percentage was .321 before he was designated for assignment Thursday.

Mark Trumbo went 2-for-4 with two singles and two strikeouts in his Mariners debut Thursday. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Has Zduriencik ever seen “Moneyball”? It’s a good movie; he should watch it. Or read the book. Or maybe just a stats sheet.

Alright, loading Seattle’s roster with high-percentage on-base guys might not be the answer. And we’re not deluding ourselves, thinking that we have a solution to the Mariners’ ongoing offensive woes. Baseball is far more complex than that. But if there’s one thing the M’s don’t need, it’s another home-run hitter who is batting a paltry .186 with runners in scoring position this year.

Let’s call the Trumbo trade what it is: a desperation move by a general manager on the hot seat. And while such an idea would be good at this point — you want your GM’s job to depend on the success of his team — you have to wonder whether it will do the Mariners any good. We’ll find out soon enough. And we sincerely hope it works out, for the sake of Seattle fans everywhere.

The past week has been frustrating, to say the least. Disheartening. Infuriating. Exasperating. As soon as the Mariners climbed back to .500 on May 27, they took a nosedive that can only be rivaled by their eight-game losing streak last season. This time is different, however: This season, the M’s were favorites to make the World Series.

And baseball fans across the country bought into it. Oh, how foolish we all were.

Yet, if last season taught us anything, it’s that the Mariners can bounce back from the basement and make a late push toward the postseason. We are now one-third through the season; there is still hope.

Then again, 2014 also reminded us that these are the Seattle Mariners, and they’ll find a way to dash fans’ hopes in whatever way possible. Last year, it was their five-game slide down the stretch, when Houston and Toronto combined to outscore Seattle 43-10, causing the M’s to miss the playoffs by one game and likely costing Felix Hernandez a second Cy Young Award.

And by the way, last season, after some early-season stumbles, the Mariners’ win percentage never slipped below .490. As of Friday morning, the M’s were at .444.

McClendon needs to stop changing the batting order every day. The team needs to stop whiffing with runners in scoring position. James Paxton and Hisashi Iwakuma need to stop getting injured. Cruz and Seager need to stay hot. And maybe Zduriencik needs to inject some new blood into a Mariners team that has become decidedly anemic.

Well, Zduriencik added Trumbo. And hey, maybe it will work. After all, Trumbo adds more proven hitting talent to a ballclub that is, on paper, more talented than in 2014.

So, then, where does the blame fall? On McClendon’s managing that talent? On Zduriencik’s rushing that talent up through the minors? On Cano’s lackadaisical offense? On injuries, muddy mounds or Ackley’s beard?

We’re confounded. All we know is something’s gotta start changing. Really, the M’s simply need to start hitting. And until that point, our Mariners Panic Level will be pegged at “severe.”

Seattle Mariners player Logan Morrison peeks out at students before presenting a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly for kindergarten through fifth grade students, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke Elementary School in Tukwila, Washington. The program is in its eighteenth year, and includes four Seattle-area schools. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com) less

Seattle Mariners player Logan Morrison peeks out at students before presenting a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly for kindergarten through fifth grade students, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke ... more

Photo: SEATTLEPI.COM

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Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez raids a gym closet for a basketball to play with in the moments before presenting a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly for kindergarten through fifth grade students, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke Elementary School in Tukwila, Washington. The program is in its eighteenth year, and includes four Seattle-area schools. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com) less

Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez raids a gym closet for a basketball to play with in the moments before presenting a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly for kindergarten through fifth grade students, photographed ... more

Photo: SEATTLEPI.COM

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Seattle Mariners players Nelson Cruz, Felix Hernandez, J.A. Happ, Austin Jackson, Mark Lowe, Logan Morrison and Rickie Weeks present D.R.E.A.M. Team assemblies for kindergarten through fifth grade students, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke Elementary School in Tukwila, Washington. The program is in its eighteenth year, and includes four Seattle-area schools. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com) less

Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez, left, joins into a group of children during a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly for kindergarten through fifth grade students, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke Elementary School in Tukwila, Washington. The program is in its eighteenth year, and includes four Seattle-area schools. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com) less

Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez, left, joins into a group of children during a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly for kindergarten through fifth grade students, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke ... more

Photo: SEATTLEPI.COM

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Seattle Mariners players warm up with a quick game of basketball before presenting a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly for kindergarten through fifth grade students, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke Elementary School in Tukwila, Washington. The program is in its eighteenth year, and includes four Seattle-area schools. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com) less

Seattle Mariners players warm up with a quick game of basketball before presenting a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly for kindergarten through fifth grade students, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke ... more

Photo: SEATTLEPI.COM

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Seattle Mariners players Nelson Cruz, Felix Hernandez, J.A. Happ, Austin Jackson, Mark Lowe, Logan Morrison and Rickie Weeks present D.R.E.A.M. Team assemblies for kindergarten through fifth grade students, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke Elementary School in Tukwila, Washington. The program is in its eighteenth year, and includes four Seattle-area schools. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com) less

Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez, left, cracks up alongside his teammates while presenting a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly for kindergarten through fifth grade students, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke Elementary School in Tukwila, Washington. The program is in its eighteenth year, and includes four Seattle-area schools. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com) less

Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez, left, cracks up alongside his teammates while presenting a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly for kindergarten through fifth grade students, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, ... more

Photo: SEATTLEPI.COM

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Seattle Mariners players Nelson Cruz, Felix Hernandez, J.A. Happ, Austin Jackson, Mark Lowe, Logan Morrison and Rickie Weeks present D.R.E.A.M. Team assemblies for kindergarten through fifth grade students, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke Elementary School in Tukwila, Washington. The program is in its eighteenth year, and includes four Seattle-area schools. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com) less

Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez, left, laughs at his teammates who were practicing their signatures before presenting a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly for kindergarten through fifth grade students, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke Elementary School in Tukwila, Washington. The program is in its eighteenth year, and includes four Seattle-area schools. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com) less

Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez, left, laughs at his teammates who were practicing their signatures before presenting a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly for kindergarten through fifth grade students, ... more

Photo: SEATTLEPI.COM

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Seattle Mariners players Nelson Cruz, Felix Hernandez, J.A. Happ, Austin Jackson, Mark Lowe, Logan Morrison and Rickie Weeks present D.R.E.A.M. Team assemblies for kindergarten through fifth grade students, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke Elementary School in Tukwila, Washington. The program is in its eighteenth year, and includes four Seattle-area schools. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com) less

Fans and students take photos with Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez following a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke Elementary School in Tukwila, Washington. The program is in its eighteenth year, and includes four Seattle-area schools. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com) less

Fans and students take photos with Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez following a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke Elementary School in Tukwila, Washington. The ... more

Photo: SEATTLEPI.COM

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Fans and students take photos with Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez following a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke Elementary School in Tukwila, Washington. The program is in its eighteenth year, and includes four Seattle-area schools. (Jordan Stead, seattlepi.com) less

Fans and students take photos with Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez following a D.R.E.A.M. Team assembly, photographed Thursday, June 4, 2015, at Thorndyke Elementary School in Tukwila, Washington. The ... more